UN Calls for Justice for 1988 Massacre Victims and for Iran Regime to Be Punished

The Human Rights Council of the United Nations received a written statement from the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, the Women’s Human Rights International Association and the France Libertes : Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, the International Educational Development, Inc. and the Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples regarding the 1988 mass execution of political prisoners carried out by Iranian authorities.

In March this year, the Secretary General of United Nations wrote a report detailing that dozens of families had written to the organization demanding justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre. The UN High Commissioner had already stated that the impunity the Iranian regime has enjoyed has just fuelled even more human rights abuses, and the massacre has never in fact been acknowledged officially, nor has it been prosecuted.

One complaint points out that the government of Iran has been allowed to continue committing crimes because of the “international community’s inaction and insensitivity”. The same report claims: “The failure of the international community thus far to investigate this ‘crime against humanity’ and to bring the perpetrators to justice has fueled a culture of impunity for Iranian officials to the point that those officials who sat on the 1988 ‘Death Commission’ in Tehran are today the very people standing as candidates in the Iranian Presidential election.”

The electoral process in Iran is far from the internationally-recognized norms of democracy, with candidates being eliminated by the Guardian Council if they do not have an allegiance to the Supreme Leader of the country. Ebrahim Raisi was one of the main presidential candidates and was a member of the so-called death commission. The current president, Hassan Rouhani, beat him to the post, but he does not have a better track record. Rouhani, during his first term, presided over some three thousand executions. His justice minister is a member of the death commission.

The statement mentioned that “international efforts to ensure accountability over the 1988 massacre” is essential, otherwise there is a risk, or rather likelihood, that nothing will change with regards to human rights in the country.

The statement also talks about the bravery of the Iranian people who have defied the authorities by talking about the massacre and demanding justice. Many people’s loved ones were buried in mass graves, whereabouts unknown, and the government has tried to cover up evidence now that international and domestic heat is rising.

At the end of 2016, Iran was called to “launch a comprehensive accountability process in response to all cases of serious human rights violations, including those involving the Iranian judiciary and security agencies, and … to end impunity for such violations”, but it has failed to do so.

The statement ends: “What happened in Iranian prisons in 1988 remains a deep scar on the body and soul of the Iranian people. The only way to soothe this wound would be a comprehensive investigation and identifying those who abused their power to execute thousands of their ideological opponents.”

“According to international conventions there is no statute of limitations for crimes against humanity. It is the responsibility of the international community, including the Human Rights Council and the Security Council, to attend to this matter and to ensure that accountability is achieved. What gives this matter urgency is that the massacre and genocide of 1988 has not come to an end and still continues – for example, High Commissioner Zeid Al Hussein issued a statement deploring “mass executions” in Iran following the execution of 25 Sunnis on August 2, 2016. Additionally the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre still hold key positions and could soon be at the helm of a government that continues to murder its opponents with impunity.”The Human Rights Council of the United Nations received a written statement from the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty, the Women’s Human Rights International Association and the France Libertes : Fondation Danielle Mitterrand, the International Educational Development, Inc. and the Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples regarding the 1988 mass execution of political prisoners carried out by Iranian authorities.

In March this year, the Secretary General of United Nations wrote a report detailing that dozens of families had written to the organization demanding justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre. The UN High Commissioner had already stated that the impunity the Iranian regime has enjoyed has just fuelled even more human rights abuses, and the massacre has never in fact been acknowledged officially, nor has it been prosecuted.

One complaint points out that the government of Iran has been allowed to continue committing crimes because of the “international community’s inaction and insensitivity”. The same report claims: “The failure of the international community thus far to investigate this ‘crime against humanity’ and to bring the perpetrators to justice has fueled a culture of impunity for Iranian officials to the point that those officials who sat on the 1988 ‘Death Commission’ in Tehran are today the very people standing as candidates in the Iranian Presidential election.”

The electoral process in Iran is far from the internationally-recognized norms of democracy, with candidates being eliminated by the Guardian Council if they do not have an allegiance to the Supreme Leader of the country. Ebrahim Raisi was one of the main presidential candidates and was a member of the so-called death commission. The current president, Hassan Rouhani, beat him to the post, but he does not have a better track record. Rouhani, during his first term, presided over some three thousand executions. His justice minister is a member of the death commission.

The statement mentioned that “international efforts to ensure accountability over the 1988 massacre” is essential, otherwise there is a risk, or rather likelihood, that nothing will change with regards to human rights in the country.

The statement also talks about the bravery of the Iranian people who have defied the authorities by talking about the massacre and demanding justice. Many people’s loved ones were buried in mass graves, whereabouts unknown, and the government has tried to cover up evidence now that international and domestic heat is rising.

At the end of 2016, Iran was called to “launch a comprehensive accountability process in response to all cases of serious human rights violations, including those involving the Iranian judiciary and security agencies, and … to end impunity for such violations”, but it has failed to do so.

The statement ends: “What happened in Iranian prisons in 1988 remains a deep scar on the body and soul of the Iranian people. The only way to soothe this wound would be a comprehensive investigation and identifying those who abused their power to execute thousands of their ideological opponents.”

“According to international conventions there is no statute of limitations for crimes against humanity. It is the responsibility of the international community, including the Human Rights Council and the Security Council, to attend to this matter and to ensure that accountability is achieved. What gives this matter urgency is that the massacre and genocide of 1988 has not come to an end and still continues – for example, High Commissioner Zeid Al Hussein issued a statement deploring “mass executions” in Iran following the execution of 25 Sunnis on August 2, 2016. Additionally the perpetrators of the 1988 massacre still hold key positions and could soon be at the helm of a government that continues to murder its opponents with impunity.”

Many bad things were done to Iran by some really bad people. These criminals will have to be brought to justice.For many generations this country was captive to a corrupt regimes. Iranian people had to find ways to survive ... ReadMore +